Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez put a bow on wedding weekend with last bash
The casually clad newlyweds were spotted on a boat leaving the Aman hotel in Venice on Sunday, June 29, after a final night of partying capped a three-day wedding extravaganza. She donned a wide-rimmed black hat and dark sunglasses with a sleeveless white dress, while he wore a black tee and shades, his arm around his wife's waist. The couple smiled and waved to photographers as they exited.
Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, exchanged rings on Friday, June 27, on the small island of San Giorgio, across the water from Saint Mark's Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Jordan's Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Kris, Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, were among the A-listers present.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez wed: The couple tie the knot in controversial wedding ceremony
A bash held the day after the wedding ceremony− which wrapped up a weekend of celebrations for 200 to 250 guests, estimated to have cost $50 million in all − took place on Saturday, June 28, in the Arsenale, a former medieval shipyard in an eastern district of the lagoon city.
Celebrity guests were seen leaving the Gritti Palace hotel in central Venice wearing their interpretation of pajamas and loungewear before boarding small boats to reach the party.
Bezos and Sánchez chose a dressier look. He sported a black shirt and suit, while she wore a soft-pink off-the-shoulder dress. They kissed on the boat while greeting those around them.
About 1,000 people marched on June 28 in protest of the lavish festivities. Activists unfurled banners that read, "No space for Bezos" and "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax."
At the ceremony, the bride wore a high-necked silhouette dress and a tulle and lace veil by Dolce & Gabbana, which she told Vogue was based on Sophia Loren's dress to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film, "Houseboat."
Sánchez was also wearing a pair of diamond earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, which, according to Vogue, were lent to her in keeping with the tradition that it brings good luck for a bride to wear something borrowed.
Bezos, who is No. 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list, donned a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt.
While some residents and activists raged against Bezos as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venetian businesses and political leaders welcomed the luxury nuptials, hailing them as major boost for the local economy.
"Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business," Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters.
Lauren Sánchez made this subtle change: Here's what she did after marrying Jeff Bezos
"Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality. He is more Venetian than the protesters," the mayor said. He added that he hoped Bezos, who donated 3 million euros ($3.51 million) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business.
Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and City Hall had only learned about his donations after they had already been made.
Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sánchez in 2023, four years after the end of his 25-year marriage to novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow and Kim Willis, USA TODAY
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